Night lamp and switch therefor



y 3, 1932- I A. w. FRANKLIN 1,856,755

NIGHT LAMP AND SWITCH THEREFOR Filed Jan. 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E V M 7 4 3 .4

' '5 fia 5 f avwen toz 351 716 Gum/W M y 1932- A. FRANKLIN 1,856,755

NIGHT LAMP AND SWITCH THEREFOR Filed Jan. 29, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 flnomtoz Alberf W- FFanK/I'n g of the Q Patented May 13, 1932 UNITED STATES,

ALBERT w. FRANKLIN, on NEW scan. it. a.

riienr 2 man swrren rnnnnnon Application nledfiannary as, me. Serial No. ceases.

This invention relates in general to an electric night lamp and switch therefor.

One of the objects of theinvention is the provision of a plug member adapted to be screwed into an ordinary outlet socketfand to receive an electric light and an auxiliary light of smaller candle power and a switch, all arranged so that when the switch is oper ated to extinguish the larger electric light the smaller light is energized.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an electric switch which is exceedingly simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and yet rugged and efficient in use.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an electric switch having a body portion comprising three separable parts,

contact .members within the body portion, and means for establishing circuit communication between the contacts.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a switch of such structure that the contacts provide circuit terminals and also the spring resistance to the movement movable member of the switch.

A further 'ob ect of this invention is the provision of a switch of this nature which may be easil 3 with the night light lamp by the removal of one part and the addition thereto of several others.

These and other objects, as will ap ear r'rornthe following disclosure, are secures by means of this invention. 1

This invention resides substantially-in the combination, construction, arrangement, and relative location of parts, all as will be described more fullyhereinafter.

49 Referring to the drawings-- Figure 1 s a vertical central cross-sectional view through the switch Fig. 2 is a similar cross-sectional view taken at right angles to the'view of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a verticalcross-sectional view taken on the line 4--4"o Fig. 3; Fi .5 is a perspective view of the. movable switc handle;

adapted for use in connection- Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the electric night lamp showing the plug member partly in cross-section;

Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinalview taken on the lineY-Y of Fig. 6; i

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 10; Fig. 9 is an end view of the switch member adapted to receive the small electric light socket;

Fig. 10 is an end 'view of the other end of the switch; and

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view oi the small electric light socket with the lamptherein. A

The broad object of this invention is the construction or an electric night lamp in which a large and a small electric bulb co operate in a circuit controlled by a special switch which, when the large electric lamp 7 is cut oil, permits the small lamp to light up. The circuit is such that when the smaller lamp is lighted it is in series with the larger lamp and does not have sufficient current to cause the larger lamp to light up.

A secondary object of the invention is the provision of a switch, complete in itself, but adapted upon slight alteration to form the switch for the electric night lamp. The feature of this switch is that the spring contact members through which the circuit is completed also offer resistance to movement of the switch handle which'completes the circuit between the contact members.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the 8 switch is shown comprising a main body portionl recessed at each end and internally threaded at the recessed end. This construction leaves the central transverse wall 2 having passages-6 therein through which the wires may be threaded. At each end of the body portion are provided the end members 3, 4. which have threads thereon to engage with. the internal threads of the main body 1. Q When the parts are united they provide a small cylindrical switch with rounded ends wbich are apertured so that the circuit wires may pass therethrough. The main-body ortion is provided with two holes exten g through the wall thereof diametrically op- 10? posite to each other. They are disposed with respect to the transverse wall so thatthe switch handle 5 which extends therethrough is partially embedded in a semi-circular groove extending across the transverse wall, as indicated at 2, Fig. 2. The switch handle 5 is cut away at its center to provide the reduced portion 7 having parallel sides.

Extending through the central hole in the transverse wall are the two spring contact fingers 8 and 9 which are secured thereto by means of screws. Extending through the part 7 of the switch handle 5 is a contact pin 10 which is slightly shorter than the width of the portion 7. At the other end of the fiat portion 7 on each side thereof are the slight depressions 11. .The spring fingers 8 and 9 are provided with indentations 13 and 12 properly arranged so that when the switch vide the spring resistance to handle is in one position they engage the depressions 11 and in the other position they contact with the contact pin 10. Thus, when the switch handle is in one position, electrical contact is madebetween them through the part 7 thereof by means of contact pin 10. When the handle is in the other position the indentations onthe spring fingers lie in the depressions 11 to hold the switch handle there. It will be apparent, therefore, that the spring fingers act both to make contact and ttbprothe movement of the switch "handle. i

The switch which has just been described in detail forms an integral part of the night lamp disclosed in Figs. 6 to 11, inclusive. This night lamp comprises a plug and socket member having a hollow shell 15 on which is supported and insulated therefrom the contact 16. An outer casing 17 is provided within which lies the insulating cylinder 16 for holding the shell 15 out of contact with the outer casing 17. The outer end of the shell 15 provides the plug by means of which the device is connected .to an ordinary socket outlet. The inside of the shell 15 at the lower end provides a socket to receive the large electric light.

A transverse wall 18 is mounted within the shell and is provided with the contact terminal 19 and the sprin finger 20. When a bulb is screwed into t e socket shell 15 the bulb forces the spring finger 20 into contact with the contact 19. This plug,in other words, is intended to connect the night light into a regular outlet and yet not interfere with its function of supporting and providing electric connections to the electric bulb. A wire 21 is connected to the contact 16 and a wire 22 is connected to the contact 19. These two wires extend to and through the end cap 3 of the switch 1. When the "switch 1, described in detail above, is employed in this night light structure its other cap 4 is removed and the shade 33 is substituted therefor. This shade is secured to the main body of the switch 1 by means of a coupling member 31, as is clearly shown in Fig. 7, which is provided with openings to permit the escape of heat generated by the smaller bulb 10. The same screw 27 which holds the contact 12 in place in this form of the device also holds the small bracket 23 and causes it to make electrical contact with the spring contact 12. Secured to the bracket 23 by means of the machine screw 27 is the insulating 'disc 24 the metallic disc 25, and the insulating disc or button 26. The smaller socket shell 28 encircles the button 26 and is The disc bracket 23. The bracket 23 is in electrical contact with the spring contact 12, both of which are connected to the wire 22. An examination of this circuit will show that the small electric bulb 40 is in parallel with the spring contacts 12 and 13. These spring contacts 12 and 13 are in series with the wires 21 and 22 so as to control the flow of electric current to the larger bulb which fits into the socket shell 15. Thus when switch handle 5 is thrown in a position to complete the circuit to the larger bulb from wires 21 and 22 the small bulb is short-circuited and hence is not energized. Thus when the larger bulb is deenergized by breaking the circuit at the contacts 12 and 13 the smaller bulb 10 is in series with the larger bulb and is energized. The filament of the larger bulb forms a resistance in the circuit which prevents the destruction of the smaller bulb and since the smaller bulb takes but a little curren the larger bulb will not be energized enough to give oil any light.

By means of this ex eedingly simple structure it-is possible to provide an electric night lampwhich gives sui'iicient illumination to permit one to move about in a darkened room without danger of injury and to make it easy to locate the switch which controls the large bulb. This simple device provides an electric night lamp for use in hallways, sick rooms, and the like.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be apparent that I have devised an exceedingly simple structure having highly useful purposes. The principles by means of which these purposes are accomplished may, of course, be embodied in a number of physical forms and I do not, therefore, desire to be strictly limited to the disclosure given for purposes of illustration but rather to the scope of the appended claim.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is: i

A night lamp unit of the type described,

' comprising a standard plug for insertion in a standard socket, a tubular extension afiixed to said plug, an outlet in said extension, a transverse wall of insulating material in said extension forming the head of a standard lamp socket, an electrical connection between one contact of said socket and one contact of said plug, an electrical connection between the other contact of said plug and one contact finger of a switch, an electrical connection between the other contact of said socket and the other contact fin er of said switch a socket mounted on sai switch the respective contacts thereof being connected to the respective switch fingers of the switch, means for short-circuiting the switch fingers and the socket supported by the switch, the switch and socket thereon being physically separated from the plug and socket unit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 28th day of January A. D.,

1929. ALBERT W. FRANKLIN. 

